What a side flock asks of your week
A flock kept beside a job lives or dies by its routine. Most of the work happens at two fixed points: before you leave for work and when you get home. The morning round covers the feed, the water, a glance at the birds and a quick check of the house. The evening round repeats those jobs, adds the eggs and notes anything that looks wrong. For a small flock that is settled in, that routine often takes a short time each day, but the exact time depends on the size of the flock and how far you are from the house.
The weekend is where the heavier jobs fall. Litter is replaced, feeders are scrubbed, feed is bought in bulk, and sales are made and recorded. Set aside a fixed block of time for these tasks, and do not leave them for the one day you are tired after a long week.
An egg-first flock or a dual flock
Two shapes suit a side business. An egg-first flock keeps hens for lay and sells eggs by the tray, which gives a steady, predictable rhythm. A dual flock keeps some birds for eggs and sells others for meat when they reach market weight, which gives lumpier income but more variety. Both use dual-purpose birds from our range, so the choice comes down to how you want the money to arrive and how much you want to handle.
| Option | What you keep | What you sell | How the cash arrives | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egg-first flock | Hens kept for lay | Eggs by the tray | Steady, most weeks | Slow laying if feed or water falls short |
| Dual flock | Hens for eggs and birds for meat | Eggs, plus birds at market weight | Lumpy, around each sale | Birds ready at the same time with no buyer lined up |
If your job pays monthly and you need predictable money, the egg-first route fits better. If you have a buyer for meat and want to cover your feed bill in one go, a dual flock can work well. Many keepers start egg-first and add a few birds for meat once they know the routine. Our breeds page sets out the birds in more detail.
Prices
Local hatchNoiler
Bred in West Africa for West African conditions. Disease tolerant and heavier than local birds.
Local hatchSasso
Coloured, slower-growing bird with firm, tasty meat. Hardy on free range and lays fairly well.
Choosing between Sasso and Noiler around a job
Sasso and Noiler are both dual-purpose, so both give you eggs and meat from the same bird. The practical differences are the price and the feel of the flock you end up with. Noiler is the cheaper start: GH₵ 11 per chick, GH₵ 550 per box of 50. Sasso runs GH₵ 13 per chick, GH₵ 650 per box. If money is tight during the first season, the difference of GH₵ 100 a box can decide whether you start at all.
Choose the bird that matches your plan for sales, not the one that sounds best in a conversation. If you want the eggs to pay the feed bill first and the meat to be a bonus, Sasso is the usual choice. If your buyers want birds for meat and the eggs are a secondary goal, Noiler fits neatly. Either way, plan the housing and the feed for the number of birds you actually bought.
Housing a flock you only see at dawn and dusk
When you are away for most of the day, the house has to look after the birds without you. Keep the pen dry and free of draughts, with a roof that sheds rain and a floor that stays clean. Make sure the feeders and drinkers are sized so that a day's supply does not run out, and that they are placed where the birds can reach them comfortably. Lock the house at night and check the doors and the wire each evening, because a single gap is enough to lose birds to predators.
Brooding needs more attention than the grown flock. Chicks need heat around the clock for the first few weeks, so plan to have someone available to check the brooder in the morning and in the evening. Once the birds are feathered and moved out, the attention drops, but it does not disappear. Keep a torch and a spare heat source ready, and test the brooder before the box arrives.
A feed plan for a keeper with limited time
Feed is the expense you cannot skip, and it is the one that tempts part-time keepers to cut corners. Plan it in advance. Work out how many bags the flock will need each month, and buy in amounts that fit your cash flow, not in amounts that depend on the day's mood. Store the feed off the ground and away from damp, and keep a record of what you have used, so you know when to reorder.
Our poultry feed calculator estimates the feed for your flock size and age, and it is a good way to check whether your monthly plan is realistic. When you buy, compare what you pay per bag at more than one supplier, and always keep enough in store for a late delivery or a busy week.
Cash flow: money goes out before it comes in
A side business has a particular cash pattern. You pay for the chicks, the housing and the first bags of feed before any bird is sold or any egg is collected. Sales come later and often in small pieces. Plan the first six months on paper, with the money going out in the months it is due and the income arriving in the months you expect it. Where the two lines cross, you need a reserve to cover the gap.
Use the day-old chicks cost calculator to set the chick cost alongside the feed and housing figures you collect locally. Keep the reserve in a separate account, and do not touch it for household spending. A reserve is what lets a side business survive a bad month without you cutting the feed.
Vaccination dates you cannot afford to miss
Each chick we sell is vaccinated at the hatchery against Marek's, Newcastle, Gumboro (IBD), infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis, and each order comes with a batch record. The record is the start of your vaccination history. Later doses have their own dates, and missing one can leave the flock open to a disease that the earlier vaccines did not cover.
Because you are away during the day, set the dates in your phone with a reminder the evening before, not on the morning itself. The vaccination schedule calculator lays out a starting timetable, and a local vet can confirm it for your area. Keep a copy of the schedule with the batch record, so anyone who covers for you knows what is due.
Selling eggs and birds without a shop or stall
You do not need a shop to sell eggs. Most side businesses sell through people they already see: colleagues at work, neighbours, relatives, and the members of a church or social group. A simple message to a list of regular buyers, sent once a week with the number of trays available, is often enough to clear the eggs without any stall at all.
Set a fixed collection or delivery day so buyers know when to expect you. Customers who can count on a day will plan around it, and that reliability is what keeps them. Record each sale on the same sheet you use for feed and chicks, so the year's figures sit in one place when you review them.
Book your chicks for your farm
Send breed, number and town. We reply with price, hatch date and delivery cost.
Protecting your job and your health
A side business should never cost you your main income. Do not promise a delivery time you might miss because of a shift change, and do not take on more birds than you can feed on the days you are tired. If the flock starts to demand more than the time you have, shrink the plan before it breaks, rather than trying to hold everything together.
Basic hygiene matters too. Wash your hands after handling birds, keep the feed clean, and keep the house away from the kitchen. Eggs should be collected regularly, cleaned gently and stored in a cool place. Bird health is part of your business health, and a few simple habits prevent most of the problems keepers see.
Growing the side business later, without quitting the job
You do not need to leave your job to grow the flock. Add one box of 50 once the first flock is steady and the reserve has been rebuilt. Keep the new birds in a separate section, so the ages do not mix and the workload does not jump all at once. Over a year or two, a few well-managed batches can build a flock that pays for its own feed and adds to your income.
When the time comes to plan a bigger flock, the layer egg profit calculator and the broader poultry business guide show how the numbers change with flock size. Our small-scale farming guide covers the next steps for keepers who want to scale further, and the women in poultry guide has a useful note on running a flock alongside household duties.
Ordering and delivery for a side flock
Message us on WhatsApp or call with the breed, the number of boxes, your town or region and the date you would like the chicks. Each order gets a written price and a written delivery charge before any money changes hands. Pay on MoMo, by bank transfer, or in cash, whichever suits you. Online card payment is not available, so set up your payment method before you send the message.
Chicks leave on the day they hatch and can travel about 48 hours on the yolk they carry, which gives you room to prepare the house and the brooder. Delivery reaches all 16 regions, and the full arrangements are on our delivery page. Check the price list for current starting prices, and visit by appointment if you want to see the hatchery before buying.
Chicks that arrive dead are replaced at no cost in the next hatch. Photograph the box, count what you find, and get in touch the same day. Keep the box and the batch record together until the matter is settled. For other common questions, the FAQ page is a good place to look first.
Questions farmers ask
Can I keep poultry if I already work a full-time job?
Yes, many people do. The flock needs a fixed morning and evening routine, plus a heavier block of time at weekends. Start with a small number of birds and a backup person who can cover the days you are away.
How many chicks should a side business start with?
One box of 50 is a sensible start. It is large enough to be a real business and small enough to fit around a job. Add a second box only when the first flock is covering its feed and the reserve is rebuilt.
Noiler or Sasso for a side business?
Both are dual-purpose. Noiler works out cheaper at GH₵ 550 a box, while Sasso is GH₵ 650 a box. Choose on your budget and on whether eggs or meat will be the main product for your buyers.
How much time does a small flock take each day?
Once the flock is settled, the morning and evening checks take a short time each day for a small flock. Brooding weeks take more attention. The exact time depends on flock size, how the house is set up and how far you live from the birds.
Do I need a large plot of land?
No. A small, dry, secure pen is enough for a first flock. Focus on keeping the house clean, the roof sound and the doors closed at night. Size the pen to the birds you have, not to the flock you plan for later.
How soon will the flock start earning?
Egg income starts once the hens begin to lay, which is usually around 18 to 20 weeks for layer-type birds. Dual-purpose birds take a different path, and meat income depends on when the birds reach market weight and when you sell them.
Is there a payment plan for the chicks?
No, we do not offer payment plans or financing. Set aside the full amount, then pay by mobile money, bank transfer or cash once you have the written price and the delivery cost in hand.
What do I do if some chicks are gone on arrival?
Photograph the box, count the dead birds and message us the same day. Dead-on-arrival chicks are replaced free in the next hatch, so keep the batch record with your message until the replacement is sorted.
Prices and details checked 18 October 2026 by the Halaal Farms hatchery team, Opeikuma, Kasoa.
